Prop 34: Will California Abolish the Death Penalty?

In November, California voters will decide the fate of Proposition 34, a ballot measure that would overturn the death penalty for people found guilty of murder, and replace it with life imprisonment without possibility of parole.

Proponents of the ballot measure say that passage would result in lowered state and county costs for death penalty proceedings that often necessitate costly extended trials and public defenders. The measure speculates that the state would save $100 million annually for the first few years, followed by a $130 million increase thereafter. Additionally, Prop 34’s passage would create the SAFE California Fund, an initiative that would provide resources for sheriffs and police departments as well as district attorney offices statewide.

“The campaign isn’t about a moral opinion of the death penalty,” says Baify Vieyra, Communications Assistant for Yes on Proposition 34. “It’s about what is actually happening in the state of California… Right now, with our state’s budget cuts, it doesn’t really seem feasible to fix or have (the death penalty).” TO READ MORE AND CHECK OUT OUR INTERACTIVE FEATURE CLICK HERE